Mechanism for flying machines



Sept. 9, 1924. v 1,508,016

w. M. mus

MECHABIISM FOR FLYING MACHINES F1166 April 1923 2 Sheets-Shoot 1 Qs e z. 9. 1924. 1,508,016

W. M. ELLIS MECHANISM FOR Fume MACHINES M104 Ami]. 5, 1923 2 Sheets-Sham 2 A TTORNE Y Flying Machines,

'pellers or wheel-wings in WALTER M. ELLIS, or nnnna'von, Wisconsin.

MECHANISM FOR FLYING crimes;

Application filed April; 5, 1923. Serial No. 630,175.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELus, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of Endeavor, county of Marquette, and

State of Wisconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in Mechanisms for of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention is in the nature of an air ship mechanism, or mechanism for heavierthan-air flying machines, and the object is to provide a combination mechanism, system, means and method for accomplishing and carrying out all the activities and functions of air navigation by means of a mechanism consisting essentially of two distinct parts, namely, an overhead frame with a system or plurality of coacting propellers,"helico'pters or wheel-wings; connected below, by means of a universal joint, with a body or carriage part and means for rotating prounisonpand separate means for flexing or inclining the wheelwing system and frame in any desired direction or angle to the vertical, in order. to direct the. course or travel of the air ship.

In the drawing. "j;

Figure 1 is av side elevation of a representation oryembodiment of the invention designed to accomplish the objects stated. (A mid-section of the air ship "is here shown.)

Figure-2 is a plan view of they propeller or wheel-wing frame, in essential and conventional, but not detailed, showing.

Figure 3is in outlinea side view of the universal joints, the articulating or supporting part enclosing the part connecting the sections of the driving shaft.

Figure 4 is a plan view of versal connections.

In developing and carrying out this invention, a ropeller or wheel-wing frame 1 is provide and. rigidly braced as a whole; and through the borders of this frame'are journaled two ormore pairs of propeller or wheel-wing shafts 2, carrying wheel-wings or propellers 3, all set in a common plane. A central transmission shaft 1 is likewise journaled throughthe center ofthe frame, and'rigidljmounted thereon are a.number of sprockets 5, corresponding in number to the number of propellers used (four as here represented) Two brackets 6 depend from the longitudinal axis of the framel,

the double uniand two similar brackets 7 are extended up from the transverse axis of the air ship 8. A ring 9, having four pintles 10 equi-spaced nlnety degrees apart around the outer edge thereof, is journaled by twoopposite pintles between the ends of the frame brackets 6,

and by the otherutwo opposite pintles -between the ends of the body brackets 7 thus a universal supporting joint or connection ll'having an open center 12 is formed between the frame 1 and the ship 8.' By- -means of another, smaller and more conventional form of. universal joint 13, located within the open center 12 of the supporting joint 11, and which for convenience may be referred to as a driving connection, the lower extended end of the shaft 4 is flexibly joined I to the vertically journaled drive shaft v1 1. The drive shaft 14 is operatively connected withv the engine shaft 15-.by means of bevel gears 16, or other conventional connection. The points or centers of flexure of the two joints 11 and 13 are of course located in the same horizontal plane. Guy ropes or cables 17 are attached to the mid-sides of the lower part of the frame 1 and pass into the body of the ship over rollers 18. By manipulating these ropes the en ine can control and flex the frame and w eel-wing system in any directionand so direct the movement of the air ship.

While 1 have herein described a certain specific manner and method of constructing and assembling the elements of my inventransmission shaft and outer propeller or wheel wing pendicular thereto and operatively connected' together, propellers or wheel wings mounted on the outer shafts in a.cor'nmon plane, a vertical drive shaft centrally our-. nalled in the body in line with the transmission shaft and operatively connected with the engine, a universal joint centrally til connectin th wheel wingfrom above with the body elow, one part or element of said universal joint consisting of a ring provided with radial pivots arranged in the same plane and having an open center, and operated to articulate and mutually support the two parts of the airship, the other part or element being located exactly centered and actuating within the outer part and at the same point of fiexure as the outer or articulating point and operatively' connecting the drive shaft with the transmission shaft, and guy ropes attached to the outer lower part ofthe wheel wing frame and extending thence into the bodyfto a central point of control for flexing the wheel wing system or frame "at the will of the driver agnjd thus directing the movement of the airs 2? A'mechanism of the character described comprising in combination with the body, an

engine of a flying machine, a drive shaft journailed in the body and operatively connected to the engine, a transmission shaft vertically connected at the upper end of the drive shaft through a univers joint, a perpendicular frame, the latter being journalled to the former, perpendicular shafts vertically journailed one through each corner of the perpendicular frame, sprockets on the transmission shaft, aligned sprocketson the perpendicular shafts, sprocket chains connecting the said aligned sprockets, propellers mounted on the upper ends of the propeller shafts, and front and rear guy ropes arranged in pairs and attached at their upper ends to the corners of the propeller frame and extending downwardly directly to the body at opposite sides of the same for controlling the propeller frame to tilt the same laterally or longitudinally.

3. A mechanism of the character described, comprising in combination with the body, an engine of a flying machine, a propeller frame adapted for horizontal disposition over the said body, a central transmission shaft, a plurality of outer propeller shafts journalled through the frame, perpendicu'lar thereto, propellers. on the propeller shafts, means for operatively connecting the transmission shaft withflthe' propeller shafts, a drive shaft vertically journalled in Leonora the body and operatively connected with the engine, a universal connection between the drive shaft and the transmission shaft, front and rear guy ropes arranged in pairs and connected at their upper ends to the corners of the propeller frame and extending downwardly directly therefrom to the body for adjusting the propeller frame to tilt the same laterally or longitudinally.

i. A flying machine comprising a body portion, a drive shaft vertically and centrally journalled in the body portion, means for rotating the drive shaft, a helicopter por tion disposed above the body portion, a transmission shaft vertically and centrally journalled in the helicopter portion, a central universal supporting connection between the body and the helicopter portion, said connection having a ring provided with a central opening and having four radially arranged pivots located in the same plane and extending outwardly from the periphery of the ring, two of the pivots connecting the ring with the body portion and the other till two of the pivots connecting the ring with o the helicopter portion and a central universal driving connection between the drive shaft and the transmission shaft, said driv- 1 located in the same plane, and brackets ar-- ranged in pairs andmounted on the body portion and the helicopter portion andhaving bearings receiving the said radial pivots,

"and a universal driving connection located within the ring and connecting the vertical shaftsw WALTER M.-ELLIS, Witnesses:

HAROLD B. Halon, ALAN (G. Hsonwonrnrr 

